Earth’s Intelligence

Hello people of the net! Hope everyone is having a good weekend! On the west coast of Canada, we get to enjoy a long weekend – our work week will begin on Tuesday.

In other news…

I’ve recent become a little bit more conscious of what I put into my body and what I put on my skin…and let me tell you, the changes are really noticeable. I started using more natural ingredients for skin care and now switched to a natural deodorant (without aluminum because the other ones have been causing me irritation – too much info? haha). I feel better…I notice the difference. Maybe the difference is partially from feeling good about what products I use, nonetheless, I’m happy. I have also been able to find really good bargains on the natural brands, so it hasn’t cost me more than the other products I’ve replaced, which is fantastic. I still do use my Victoria’s Secret Coconut Milk body butter because I just adore the smell and the way it makes my skin feel; but, I also use a 100% natural body lotion from a German brand called Lavera and I really like it. I am not really going to go bananas and start switching out everything for organic and 100% naturally derived ingredients for several reasons (read below). Right now, I am just a little more conscious of trying to do good things for my body and take care of my skin. We only get one vessel to reside in haha. The better we take care of it, the better it serves us. Right? Right. I also try to pay attention to the cruelty free products and I believe in preserving our planet. That said, let’s get into some of my new products:

Current Natural Products I am Into

Burt’s Bees Rose Toner – This toner feels incredible and it smells divine. After using it for just a few days my skin looks better and feels cleaner. This is a keeper.

Burt’s Bees Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleansing Wipes – Again, this stuff smells delicious. It feels super refreshing and it removes makeup in a snap. If I am not wearing makeup, I still like to use these wipes after washing my face. They’re awesome.

Burt’s Bees Herbal Blemish Stick with Tea Tree Oil – I don’t dislike the scent, it just smells like fennel and a hint of something else (I assume it is the tea tree). However, this thing is now a permanent staple in my skin care routine. If I see a blemish on my face, I pop a bit of this stuff on it and in the morning it’s as good as gone. I hope they never discontinue this product. This is my holy grail.

Aveeno Fresh Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer (with SPF 30) – I really like the fact that this product contains natural ingredients (though not 100%) and it also contains SPF, which is just wonderful. It doesn’t feel greasy or heavy and doesn’t cause any breakouts. Overall, this is a really great product, even for my sensitive skin.

Lavera Orange & Sea Buckthorn Body Lotion – This lotion is cruelty free, organic, all natural, and it smells like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. If you don’t know what that is I will say this: the lotion smells like fresh oranges and a hint of dark chocolate. Besides its glorious scent, I find that the lotion absorbs easily and keeps my skin hydrated. I can’t say enough good things about it. Definitely not an easy brand to find, but this was given to me by my dad as part of a gift and I am very, very pleased with it.

The Green Beaver Company Natural Deodorant in Lavender – I genuinely adore the scent of lavender, so that’s already a win in my books. I bought this because aluminum is not a good ingredient and my other deodorant made my skin irritated. So far, the deodorant is great. I will say the staying power is a bit weaker than those laced with aluminum, but I don’t mind reapplying it at some point in the day if needed – especially if it means a cleaner and better product. It’s also purely Canadian! Yay!

Organic/All Natural Food Items I’m Into

Blue Monkey Dark Chocolate Coconut Chips – uuumm…need I say more? This is like dessert in a bag and it’s good for you! Yes.

The Tea Room Fusion Chocolate Bar – Specifically the 60% dark chocolate bar with raspberry rooibos tea. This chocolate bar is delectable and unique. I want try a lot more of their flavors.

Madame Flavour Tea – I bought this tea on a whim one day after a tough exam. Oh, was it ever a good decision. I now have the Romantic White with Rose, Delicate Green Jasmine & Pear, and Cheerful Raspberry Hibiscus Tisane. I can’t decide which one I like the most out of those three, they are all delightful. The only unfortunate thing is that I have yet to find it anywhere except the one store I originally bought it at…I really hope they continue to stock it!

Olympic Organic Balkan Style Plain Probiotic Yogurt – Creamy, flavorful, & great for you. I eat it in the morning and as a late-night snack with a bit of honey and/or fruits and nuts. It’s perfect.

We may be clever, inventive, and adaptive beings. That said, nature is intelligent, too. The more I read about the benefits of different herbs, fruits, vegetables, and plants, the more I want to utilize them. For example, my very good friend is kindly giving me a bottle of Eucalyptus oil and I am going to make it into natural products. Eucalyptus oil has great benefits such as: odor elimination, air freshening, antiviral properties, respiratory aid (such as when sick with a cold/flu or if you suffer from allergies or asthma), it’s calming and can help alleviate a headache, it is anti-microbial (you can spray your bedding by combining water mixed with a few drops of eucalyptus oil), and the list goes on. My mom also has a tangerine oil which I will use for its many great properties – one of which is its sedative/soothing effect (great to use for sleep troubles).

As I mentioned above, I am not going to be going bananas. One of the main reasons I won’t be switching fully to all natural and organic products is the price point of most things. I would love to be able to afford only buying food from organic farmers and only buying organic and natural products in general. That said, I do hope that I can at least make the full dietary switch one day. Another reason I won’t make the bigger switch is because, as much as I hate to say it, a large portion of natural home care, health and self-care products aren’t as effective for certain purposes; sometimes we need the other chemicals. Those products that do work well are, again, pretty pricey. It is also difficult to track down the good products in stores because some stores sell it, others don’t. That last statement wouldn’t stop me but, combined with what I said before that, it’s just another reason that I am not making big lifestyle changes in that realm.

Yes, what you put in your body and on your skin must be of respectable quality, but there are wonderful products that aren’t 100% natural. Of course I prefer to use cruelty free, I prefer organic, I prefer nature’s bare ingredients, and I do my best to use products like that. However, I believe that a healthy balance is the important thing – if there needs to be synthetic chemicals or harsh chemicals in a certain product for it to do its job, then that’s what I will use. At the end of the day, I will always gravitate to things that are as close to nature as possible because I believe the earth is super intelligent; what I mean by that is you can find something for almost any need just by knowing what to look for. So, in today’s world, I believe there needs to be a good balance of utilizing what we have created and what nature has to offer – which is what I am trying to accomplish. The other very important bit is not harming the world. I believe in taking care of earth. We have just this one planet to call home (even with all the Mars advances), I think it’s super important that we look after it with care. 🙂